1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a rollover protection system for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rollover protection systems for motor vehicles are known. The rollover protection systems customarily are accommodated more or less invisibly in a body of the motor vehicle during normal operation and are extended from the body only in the event of a situation differing from the normal operation of the motor vehicle, for example a crash situation. The rollover protection systems have latching devices to maintain a distance of a vehicle inner surface from an impact surface.
DE 102 10 957 C1 discloses a rollover protection system with leg tubes that are extendable from a cassette and are connected to one another at the end thereof formed facing away from the cassette with the aid of a clip head. The clip head has an integral extension to enlarge a supporting surface.
DE 102 23 420 C2 discloses a rollover protection system with profiled struts that are extendable from a cassette. A deformation element is held at the end of the profiled struts for absorbing a force, such as an impact force. Therefore a force acting on a latching device of the rollover protection system is reduced. This results in the possibility of the rollover protection system remaining in the extended end position thereof after the action of force. The deformation element is designed in the form of a strut profile and extends in the strut extent thereof in the direction of a transverse axis of the vehicle.
DE 10 2007 058 335 A1 discloses a rollover protection system with a rollover body at the end of profiled struts. A deformation element is formed independently of the rollover body and is arranged in the region of a latching strip that extends in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the profiled struts.
DE 10 2010 005 811 A1 discloses a rollover protection system with a profiled strut having an open end that is closed with a deformation element. The deformation element is designed in the form of a strut profile and extends in the direction of the strut extent thereof in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
A correspondingly oriented deformation element can also be gathered from laid-open application DE 10 2009 011 066 A1 discloses a rollover protection system with profiled struts and a deformation element that protrudes over the profiled struts in the direction of the transverse axis of the vehicle.
DE 10 2005 029 253 B4 discloses deformation elements that have an impact surface or supporting surface that is enlarged in relation to a cross-sectional area of the profiled struts. The rollover protection system disclosed there also has one of the deformation elements at each of the open ends of the profiled struts. The deformation elements are hollow bodies with cavities extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
It is the object of the invention to provide a rollover protection system for a motor vehicle with deformation elements that have improved absorption of force.